The Girl Effect

Today, I came across an initiative I just have to share in an effort to help make a difference in the lives of girls around the world.

What is Girl Effect?

• Girl Effect is the powerful and social economic change brought about when girls have the opportunity to participate.

Facts:

• By 2016, almost 165 million Girls will be married before the age of 18
• 96 million girls in developing countries are illiterate
• Half of sexual assaults worldwide are against girls younger than 15
• Pregnancy is the leading cause of death in girls 15-19
• 75% of HIV+ teens in Sub-Saharan Africa are girls
• 70% of 130 million out-of-school children are girls.
• Today, more than 600 million girls live in the developing world, with numbers on the rise.
• One-quarter to one-half of girls in developing countries become mothers before age 18; 14 million girls aged 15 to 19 give birth in these countries each year.
• A survey in India found that girls who married before age 18 were twice as likely to report being beaten, slapped, or threatened by their husbands as were girls who married later.

How Can You Make A Difference?

• Give what you can -- Today, less than two cents of every international aid dollar is directed at the solution of adolescent girls. Donate to organizations working to unleash the girl effect like BRAC. 

• Educate yourself -- Learn about organizations and girls unleashing the girl effect, follow what’s happening on the global agenda, read everything you can.

• Share -- Tell others about the girl effect, show the Girl Effect video. The more who know, the better. 
• Join -- Follow the girl effect on Facebook and Twitter, start dialogue, participate in the discussion, voice your opinion.  

Go to www.girleffect.org to find out more information and watch videos of girls sharing their stories around the world.